


all dressed up (and staying right here)

by lilacsilver



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 07:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3521216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacsilver/pseuds/lilacsilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Bucky is not allowed to brood in the dark, but that's okay, because the company's better out here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all dressed up (and staying right here)

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of fluff I dug out of my WIP folder and decided to post as-is, because even though I gave up on making it go anywhere I'm rather proud of it.

The first time he sees her, she’s all dressed up with nowhere to go and not at all happy about it. Steve has coaxed him out of his room at Stark Tower to keep him from spending another evening brooding over a life he barely remembers, and this is the first time he’s really met anyone outside the team. Thor’s girlfriend Dr. Foster is there, deep in a rapid-fire conversation with Stark and Banner, and so is a beautiful dark-haired girl Steve says is Foster’s assistant Darcy.

“Who cancels a date with a text?” Darcy complains to the room at large. “I mean, there I was, about to walk out the door, and he didn’t even bother with a complete sentence!”

“Sounds like a winner,” Natasha deadpans. “Here, have some more wine.”

Bucky isn’t sure if Natasha’s brand of sympathy is really what anyone needs at any point in time, but it seems to work for Darcy, who accepts the glass of red wine with a nod of thanks.

“Why are you wasting my Chateau Latour on her?” Stark calls. “She told me she still drinks box wine!”

“Shut up, Tony!” Darcy yells back. Bucky likes her already, and he wonders if she knows that blue dress makes her look like the girls he thinks he might have flirted with in another lifetime. He moves closer, drawing the attention of the rest of the room.

“It’s about time you showed up, o Fearless Leader,” Stark says. “And you brought Barnes. Didn’t think he’d ever come out of his room.”

“Wasn’t really plannin’ on it,” Bucky admits. “But Rogers here just wouldn’t give up. Course, I didn’t know you had pretty girls out here.”

Darcy rolls her eyes when he winks at her, but waves at the seat next to her on the couch. “You can sit here if you agree not to try to flirt with me again.”

“I make no promises,” he tells her, grinning. She glances at his metal hand but says nothing, and he’s grateful for it.

Tonight is a good night, untroubled by shadowy memories of the things he’s done. He’s no fool as to believe it will last, but for now he sits and lets Darcy’s voice wash over him. All too soon, though, midnight comes and goes and the little gathering breaks up.

“Time for all good scientists and tinkerers to go to bed,” Darcy declares loudly.

“Tinkerer? Did you hear that? You heard that, right? She called me a tinkerer!” Stark appeals to Banner, who just sighs.

“You’re far too old to whine,” Natasha tells him severely. “Listen to Darcy and go to bed. I know for a fact you’ve been awake going on thirty hours now.”

Stark grumbles a bit more, but obeys, because even he knows better than to go against that particular tone of Natasha’s. Thor and Doc Foster leave for their suite, then Banner, then Barton and Natasha, then Steve.

It’s just Bucky and Darcy now, and he’s pretty sure that’s on purpose. She smiles at him and takes his arm, and to his surprise he doesn’t pull away.

“Be a gentleman and walk me to my room?” she asks.

“I’d be happy to, miss,” he says, mock-solemn, and she laughs. When he leaves her at her door a few minutes later, it’s with a lighter heart than he’s had in a very long time.


End file.
